Bearing Old Tales
by Peruna
Summary: Spin-off to "A Bearable Fate". Old Clan stories of the Nara about Shikakuma, the bear that was one of their own.
1. The Honourable Elder

AN: Moi moi, dear readers. Peruna here. So, this is a little spin-off to _"A Bearable Fate"_ , which will mostly explore the impact our friendly neighbourhood bear left within the Nara clan. The chapters will be short and updated irregularly, since this will mostly be random stories and anecdotes. I hope you can enjoy it.

 **I do not own Naruto.**

 **Taking a walk.**

"But I just wanted the clan crest on my shirt, just like Shikamaru-kun."

There is a chuckle and the middle-aged woman pats the little girl's head fondly. "You should be proud of your heritage, Ha-chan. This is the crest of your family."

"But I'm a Nara! My parents were Nara! Shouldn't I be wearing the crest of the Nara family?" Brown eyes overlook the stitched symbol on a simple grey shirt. It's almost like she had wanted it, the wavy lines of the Nara in black on a brightly green background, but the green of the backdrop is overlayered by a stylised white paw print. Going by it's shape it's supposed to be the track of a bear.

"Little Ha-chan, your parents were part of a line of Naras that take pride in their special history within the clan." The woman's smile remains, her eyes shining with mirth when the child looks unconvinced still.

"I've never heard anything about that. And you and oji-san don't wear it either. You're my family, aren't you? So if this is a family thing you should wear it, too."

"Oh honey, of course we are your family, but your kaa-san and I were merely friends, not sisters. Kota and I took you in because none of your closer relatives were able to."

These big brown eyes become dangerously wet and and pouty, childish lips start wobbling. "So, you-you're not re-really my family?"

The woman sighs sadly and pulls her ward into a hug, patting her back as the girl starts crying into her shoulder. "Of course we are your family. We are both Nara, aren't we? Our clan is our family."

"Wh-Why do I ha-ha-have to wear a different crest then? I wanna wear the Nara one, just like Maru-kun."

With a heavy heart the woman listens to the sobbing child of her best friend all but denouncing her heritage. She remembers when she herself was a little girl listening to her distant cousin rave and brag about being part of the distinguished branch family. Like it was only yesterday, she recalls her friend's excited voice when they got their first clan jackets with graduation.

 _"Look, look! It's Kuma's mark! She protects all of us, but especially those who carry her mark!"_

 _"That's nice, Ago-chan, but can you stop being so loud?"_

 _"Hey! I'm not loud! You're just too quiet!"_

Yes, her friend had been a _distant_ cousin. The Kuma branch family had prided themselves on being the more energetic vassals of the clan.

 _"Why do you always rant about the pet of one of your ancestors? I've read that in the Warring States Era a lot of shinobi used tamed beasts and none of them made such a big deal out of it."_

 _"Shikafoooooon, don't say something like that! Kuma was special! You're just jealous that we have a patron spirit and you don't!"_

 _"You know that the Nara have deer. They might as well be our patrons."_

 _"Hah! I knew you were just jealous!"_

 _"Whatever ..."_

"Now, now, honey. I know you look up to Shikamaru-kun, but being different isn't a bad thing. Your kaa-san loved the old stories her kaa-san used to tell her dearly."

 _"Shikafon, will you be my witness?"_

 _"Are you sure, Ago? What about Choutama or Inome?"_

 _"The boys will manage, I want you to be with me, we used to do everything together and I miss that."_

 _"... Thank you."_

 _"Don't mention it. I know you mean to say 'Whatever'."_

 _"Yeah, whatever. Do you need any help with the wedding?"_

 _"I'm so touched! You volunteer to do hard, exhausting work for me?"_

 _"That's not what I said."_

 _"No take-backs. We'll hold the ceremony by Kuma's shrine, so we need to bring all the chairs and decorations and tables there. Maybe we can get one of those really big tents to set up there? That would be so nice."_

 _"... Whatever. Just tell me what you need me for when you're done daydreaming."_

"Come now, Ha-chan. We'll go for a walk, okay?"

"O-Okay, ba-chan." Still sniffeling, the little girl steps back and rubs her tear-streaked face with her sleeve.

The woman straightes up and offers a hand for her ward to hold. Together the two leave the house and stroll over the clan grounds, greeting their fellow clansmen with lazy nods as is the norm for the Nara.

They walk along the edge of the forest, the trees casting their shadows over them and a warm spring breeze ruffling through their loose clothes. Neither of them talked, both enjoying the calm of the moment, even if the little girl holds some curiosity about their destination also.

After about half an hour of skirting the forest and leaving the other houses behind them the treeline recedes to circle a large, peaceful meadow.

Saturated green grass is spotted with blooming wild flowers, the long stalks swaying gently in the breeze. The surrounding trees rustle softly and songbirds within their crowns call and sing to each other while a group of deer graze peacefully amongst the greenery.

Two frugal buildings have been built here. One is a family home, large enough for a happy and fulfilling lifelyhood but sparing with unneccessary luxuries. The other is an elegant gazebo with invitingly open shoji screens.

Both the achitecture with it's slanted roofs and the patios surrounding the buildings as well as the dark, aged wood of the buildings give them an atmosphere of well-maintained seniority. Their composed beauty is simple and serene at the same time.

The view awes the young girl and she stares in wonder as the woman guides her towards the gazebo. She stumbles slightly on the steps to the patio, but quickly finds her balance again, still craning her slender neck to take in the inimitable sights.

Only when her caretaker sits down in a seiza position does the child focus again. Hastily it follows its elders example.

Inside the gazebo sits an old woman, aged beyond the understanding of little girls, her face marked with deep wrinkles and old scars, her skin thin and brittle-seeming and marred with liver spots, her hair dark grey and done up in a drooping bun. Despite her fragile looks the elder's eyes are still sharp and intelligent, holding knowledge far beyond the comprehension of the young.

Beside the wisened old woman lay a beautiful katana in a polished green sheat with a white-wrapped hilt. On her other side rested a large hare with it's head on her lap while gnarled fingers carress its ears.

Along the back wall, the only solid one of the structure, a small shrine is set up. Wooden figurines of various animals surround the larger statuette of a sitting bear. A few sticks of incense are arranged along the paws of the beautifully crafted wooden bear, but none are lit. Instead of thick perfume, there is only the fragrance of spring in the air.

 _It is beautiful in here, too_ , the girl decides, the scene before her awing her as much as the initial sight of the meadow.

The Nara clan is known for their connection with nature, their herbal medicine and cultivation of deer herds bring them closer to the forest kami than any other clan, their calm disposition and clear minds letting them experience peaceful serenity much easier. This woman incorporates all these facets of their clan. She is a true representative of what many within it reach to achieve.

"Shikaina-sama", the middle-aged woman bows from her seated position until her forehead rests on the floor, her ward quick to follow her example in showing their deepest respect.

"Shikafon-chan, it is good to see you well." With their heads still lowered, the girl's care-giver couldn't see her elder's expression, but at the fond sternness of her tone the younger woman suddenly feels nervous. "I had expected you and young Shikahana-chan much earlier."

"My apologies, Shikaina-sama, I didn't want to interrupt your peace." The woman speaks to the floorboards, uncomfortably aware of her mistake in not taking her little girl to the elder before. Her excuse is weak, but the retired kunoichi before her had indeed sought peace and quiet in the last years, withdrawing from the clan dealings to her secluded home in this tucked-away haven.

"Nonsense", scoffs the elderly, "But I forgive your foolishness. We all make mistakes, whether we are young or old ... Even if a majority of failings fall to the youth", she chuckles.

A few moments of silence follows before the elder chuckles again, much livelier now. "Rise, children, straighten yourselves. I am only an old hag, there's no need for such exaggerated formatily."

Both of her juniors sit up properly again and the elder notices how the little girl's gaze immediately wanders to her companion. "This is Nousagi, little Shikahana-chan. She is very friendly. Nousagi, this is Shikahana-chan, she is the last of Shikagoma's decendants."

The jack rabbit perks up at the introduction, lifting it's head to take in the little girl. Long, straight ears lift up and swivel in her direction, the furry nose snuffles and the animal tilts it's head from side to side to better observe her.

The little girl bows again to the hare. "Hello, Nousagi-san. Please take care of me." She had practised this introduction with her oba-san to be ready for the Academy and is quite certain that it fits this situation. The way the rabbit looks her over makes it seem much more intelligent than it's fluffy exterior would suggest.

In a slow, elegant and weirdly preditorial movement, the hare stands and hop-prowls over to her. It comes to a stop right in front of her bent knees and the girl instinctually straightens until her spine is ramrod still and tense.

The hare shifts it's weight onto its hind legs and stands. With impeccable balance it hovers in front of her and inspects her face. It is that action that highlights exactly how big this animal is, with more powerful muscles and longer than normal appendages.

After a long moment of eye contact the hare leans forward and rests its front feet on the girl's shoulder, before nuzzling her cheek. The child giggles and hungs the rabbit, which in turn nibbles on her ear.

Joyful laughter fills the gazebo and both older women watch the two of them fondly.

"Leave Shikahana with me for the day, I'll make sure that she gets home safely in the evening."

The younger woman nods and gets up to leave without another word to the elder or her ward. Shikahana would be safe here. If she believed her late friend, it was _"the safest place in all of Konoha. Kuma protects it."_

 _"... Whatever."_

With a heavy heart, Shikafon decides to head for the graveyard. Ago, too, hasn't been visited nearly often enough in the last years.


	2. The First Encounter

"Little Hana-chan, has your aunt ever told you about Shikakuma-sama, the protector of our family?"

"No, Shikaina-sama, she hasn't. I think she doesn't know the stories."

"Well, it is time you get to know her then. You are the last of her legacy."

There is a pause, where one shifts in wary anticipation and the other pulls on memories of long since passed events.

"Shikakuma was my father's sister. She was magnificent, smart and powerful at once and one of the last Great Bears of the northern mountains. The last one any one of us ever met..."

 _The shape of a giant, a mountain of fur on legs, running tiny-small fingers over healed scars, cuddling into all-encompassing warmth after a nightmare, feeling safe and happy._

"How was she your father's sister if she was a bear?"

"There are greater things in the world than relation by blood, young one. My father was her brother not in flesh but in soul. They understood and treasured each other in ways not commonly found in this world."

"Oh" The child's voice sounds small and hesitant, "How did they know? Could she talk?"

"No, little one, she could not use our language and it lead to their first meeting ending in a misunderstanding..."

 _The group of cousins stops, frozen in position._ _From between the underbrush a litte ways away, a beast had just emerged, silently moving through the bushes in a way a monster of that size shouldn't be able to. Sharp dark eyes lock onto their group a heartbeat after they had spotted the enormous animal and the beast stills._

 _For an endlessly long while, nothing moves in the cleared path the cousins had set as a meeting point during their patrol. Now the young shinobi stare at the towering form of a ginormous bear. It's fur was wild and knotted, the coat sporting a few holes where the animal must have fought another and been injured, but these marks of struggle only add to the fearsome image this monster of nature presents._

 _Flashes of prey being battered around by the gigantic paws and frighteningly long claws of the beast run past the inner eye of the youngest shinobi, fear seizing his heart and clenching around his chest, driving up the pulse and turning his breaths shallow._

 _Next to him, his cousin shifts her weight to draw closer, silently offering reassurance in the miniscule gesture and Shikato can appreciate that. Shikakoma is the son of their clan head, the heir, the oldest of their group, he'll know what to do._

 _Clinging to that belief, Shikato dares to lift his gaze from these deadly claws and meets the eyes of the monster. He is suprised to see them calm, calculating and no doubt intelligent. There is no trace of the crazy bloodlust or hunger he would have expected from such a nightmare, instead the animal looks almost collected and dignified even though its messy appearance screams otherwise. No sane animal would ever let its coat become this tangled, it was the mark of a sick or rabid predator. Yet, the longer the standstill persists, the less likely these options appear._

 _Finally, the tense silence is broken, when the giant bear sits. It is so massive that when its rump hits the forest floor, a loud_ 'Wump!' _echoes between the trees._

 _Shikato relaxes slightly at the non-threatening gesture, then even more when next to him Shikakoma's hand stops twitching towards his sword hilt. He is baffled by the actions of this animal when, after a moment to think about all the reasons it could have for sitting down right in front of their group, he realizes that it was a diplomatic move. A show of non-aggression as well as the desire for a peaceful end to this encounter. At least it seems to be along those lines, when the bear does nothing but continue to stare at them, wary but also expecting. It is their turn to move._

 _It's in Shikakoma's hands what they will do next and in a calculated turn, the clan heir lowers himself to the ground as well, sitting down on the soft earth in a way that would allow him to spring to his feet immeditely without appearing battle-ready. After the briefest hint of hesitation, Shikato follows his elder cousin's example. He doesn't understand why the older boy hadn't just directed them to move away, but he's willing to trust the clan heir's decisions._

 _The beast of a bear, however seems annoyed, huffing and growling at their group in a way that makes Shikato tense and sends shivers down his spine. He wants nothing more than to get away from the dangerous animal, but he has to put faith in his cousin. He's sure that there are reasons why he would put them into such a risky position instead of bidding a strategic retreat._

 _That opinion wavers when Shikakoma makes the utterly insane decision to turn away from the threat, the potential enemy, the monster of a predator, and address the group in a calm manner._

 _"Turn your heads away", he instructs calmly, "Keep it in your peripherals but don't stare right at it." His cousin gives a pointed glance at Shikato and the younger boy swallows heavily before turning his head just slightly towards his cousins._

 _"What is the plan, nii-san?", asks Kageko of her brother, who nods towards her without looking._

 _"We'll see how it reacts. It seems intelligent enough not to attack us and I'd rather not fight with a giant bear to drive it off our lands." Shikakoma shrugs in a forcibly languid way, tense under his appearance of relaxation. "If it can behave itself, there's no need to interfere."_

 _"What do you mean 'behave itself'?", Shikato asks, trying to mask the faint tremble of his voice, "It will attack the deer if it stays."_

 _"You don't know that", his cousin reprimands, eyeing the animal sidelong, "It could be peaceful enough to avoid humans. So long that we have a minder with the herds, it could be fine."_

 _"It could be", the younger agrees tensely, not at all convinced, "But if it's not, then some simple minders won't stop it in its rampage."_

 _"Animals don't just go on rampages, Shikato. As long as we don't disturb it..." The clan heir trails off, thinking, "We should prepare at least, and have someone following the bear as a sentry."_

 _They all agree on that. Someone should keep an eye on the giant predator, someone fast enough to stop it, holding it off while their weaker clansmen can flee. Or at least someone fast enough to get help in a timely manner if something did happen._

 _Before they can come to a definite conclusion about the plan of action, the bear moves again. With a sound that might almost be interpreted as a groan, it stands, rocking its weight from side to side to get up from the ground, before turning towards where it was originally headed. There is a distinctive limp in its gait, one of the hind legs seeming to be stiff, most likely from an old injury._

 _How old is that thing anyway?, Shikato wonders as he follows the slowly disappearing figure of the bear. He is pulled from the musing when his name is mentioned in the discussion between his cousins._

 _"Shikato should do it" is Kageko's opinion on the matter and the named boy bristles against her assumption. He'd rather not skirt danger like that. Sure, he is a shinobi, but the primal fear that the giant predator inspires in him is fundamentally different from facing some bandits. He has no problem fighting another human being that he can understand and predict he movements of. Never had he ever thought of facing such a powerful predator before. Not even hunting down the wolf pack last winter had been as stressful as this short encounter._

 _That's why he protests. "Absolutely not! I can't stand a chance against that beast!"_

 _He gets treated to a calm look from Kageko's other brother. "You're the fastest of us, you can get reinforcement the best if there is a need to drive the bear away." The cool logic of the clan head's second oldest son is indisputable and for a moment Shikato hates him for being right. Then he reluctantly agrees and their group splits up._

 _If I stay in the canopy the bear wont be able to get me, the youngster reasons to himself as he jumps up a tree and starts following the predator's barely visible trail by hopping from branch to branch._

 _It takes him a while to find the frightful animal again and Shikato doesn't admit it even to himself, but it's because he is too scared to come down from the trees and track the beast properly._ _When he finally does catch up, he is treated to a long stare from the animal that sends his heart into fearful panic and he freezes where he's squatting on the branch, unable to move in any way._

 _Him and the bear lock gazes, goosebumps spreading over the boy's covered arms, the fine hairs on the back of his neck rising at the presence of danger. Vaguely he realizes that his breath is coming too shallow, so he starts fighting to push back his quite reasonable terror at being faced with n animal that could rip him to shreds in a mere second._

 _When the panic subsides slightly and he recollects his wits, Shikato notices that the bear is seeming to wait on a reaction from him. And for all his inner turmoil, Shikato is too well trained to show his emotions outwardly. He doesn't want to fight this beast, he wants nothing more than for it to stay out of trouble and pass through his clan's territory peacefully so that he can go back to his usual duties and not have to engage any ginormous top predators ever again._

 _The only way for him to convey that in a message is to rely on what has worked before, so he sits down on the branch, settling with shaky hands and held breath._ _By the miracle of a genorous forest kami, the bear seems to understand and huffs up at him before turning and going along its chosen path._

 _With trembling knees, Shikato follows it, keeping enough space between the predator and him as to not disturb it in any way. He doesn't want to annoy it if at all possible and that desire is increased by a factor of hundred when he shadows the bear while it hunts and kills several feather-tailed deer, none that belong to the clan, obviously, so he has an excuse for not stepping in. The way those claws dig into the soft flanks of the prey animals makes him sick, but he keeps his composure and continues to follow the bear._

 _When the animal settles down to sleep for the night, Shikato secures himself to the crown of the tree he plans to sleep on as to not risk falling off. But he needn't have bothered because that night he doesn't get a wink of sleep, the fear of the bear slumbering somewhere far below him keeping him wide awake. He hopes that there will be someone to replace him soon, because he's not sure how long his heart can take the constant state of panic he experiences._

 _It doesn't help at all that the bear is heading straight toward the current location of the clan compound. Almost as if it knows that that's where all the juicy humans live. And with how efficiently it tracks and hunts its prey, that does seem an uncomfortably likely scenario._

 _By the third day, Shikato can't keep his nerves back anymore. They are far too close! Only another day in this direction and they'll reach the wall of the clan compound! Why hasn't anybody come to relieve him yet? If he could just trust anybody else to watch the bear, he could warn the clans!_

 _But there is nobody here but him and the giant, utterly deadly bear below him that's following a trail that will directly lead to a gate of the compound._

 _He can't allow it to go any further in that direction! He has to stop it!_

 _Swallowing the nervous lump in his throat, Shikato sends a prayer toward the kami for mercy and overtakes the bear. He jumps down a ways in front of it and blocks the way in as obvious a manner as he can think of. The bear is intelligent, smart even, maybe it will understand the gesture and change its direction?_

 _The towering animal stops in its tracks and stares at the boy. It doesn't move, gaze locked with Shikato's, but it doesn't need to move in order to intimidate him. Right under these dark, intelligent eyes are rows of gleaming white teeth, ready to bite and rip apart, a maw ready to gobble him up whole._

 _Nervously, Shikato's hand twitches towards his hip pouch and he palms a kunai, reassuring himself that he isn't helpless by gripping the familiar hilt._

 _That, however, is the wrong move to make. Between one moment and the next, the bear is charging at him with speed he can't quite comprehend before its on him. Unadultered terror screams in his_ _head and he can see his death play out in front of his_ _inner eye._

 _Before his flailing mind can come up with the appropriate reaction to an attack, the massive head of the bear butts against his chest, throwing him to the ground and then his arms are immobilized by paws larger than his forearms. The giant muzzle of the bear opens wide to reveal those teeth he had just been picturing and the foul stench of death and blood washes over him as the beast roars into his face. His hearing gives out, as does his mind for the few precious last moments he would have in this life._

 _When slowly his thoughts arrange themselves back into a semblance of order, the monstrous bear is gone. It had head-butted him, roared a warning in his face, it had been in a position where killing him would have been little more effort than ripping into an already dead carcass. And yet, he lived. He had been spared. He had angered the beast enough for it to attack him and yet, here he is, alive and not even injured. Not in any way noteworthy._

 _This bear had shown him mercy. When it had the power to kill, it chose to pardon._

 _He had been wrong to think of it as a wild beast. It is an honorable being, kind beyond reason._

 _And he had driven it away because he was too cowardly to try and communicate with it._

"What? I thought Shikakuma was his sister! Why was he so mean to her?!"

The old woman chuckles. "He was young, Hana-chan. All he could think of was the danger she posed to the ones he held dear."

"But it was wrong of him to..." The girl halts, "Wait, what did he do wrong?" The question comes out quiet and hesitant, a complete contrast to her outraged exclamations before.

"Ahh", the elder woman acknowledges the inquiry, "Tou-san believed that she had a bad experience with ninja, before he and his cousins even encountered her. That would explain why she reacted so strongly when he drew a kunai."

Th young girl nods silently at that. For a minute, she mulls over the story Shikaina-sama had told her. "But if that's true", she begins at length, "wouldn't she have attacked them much earlier? Ninja are easy to spot if they don't hide it."

"A normal animal might have, but Shikakuma was smart and she knew that one should not let their prejudice cloud their judgements."

Nodding, the little girl runs her fingers through the soft fur of the content hare in her lap. Nousagi. She seems to be pretty smart as well. Are smart animals that common?

"Shikaina-sama?", she asks and receives a fond "Yes?" in return. "Can you tell me another story?"

"Of course, Hana-chan."


End file.
